Tightly packed spherical umbels of 50 or more, white, star-shaped flowers appear on upright, ribbed stems in early summer, and can be left on the plant for many months. This is a tall cultivar with an outstanding architectural form that is ideally suited for gravel gardens.

Garden care: Plant bulbs 15cm deep and 15cm apart to enjoy the full effect of the flowers. Avoid excessive soil moisture, and split and divide large clumps in autumn or spring.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Immaculée'

peony

Acanthus hungaricus

bear's breeches

There was a time when alliums were thought of only as vegetables. However, the taller varieties with their huge globe flower heads are now one of the stars of the architectural plant world. The stiff lollipop heads off-setting sharp vertical leaves, tall,

A popular style during the Renaissance period, formal gardens were considered to represent mans domination and control over nature. They had a geometric layout with lots of straight lines and were often symmetrical. These days they tend to be a little les

Spring bulbs, such as daffodils and hyacinths, can be planted whenever the
soil conditions allow. As a rough guide, cover them with about twice as
much soil as the bulb is deep: so that a 5cm (2in) deep bulb would need a
15cm (6in) deep hole so that it

Bulbs are ideal for anyone who rates themselves as 'keen-but-clueless' because they are one of the easiest plants to grow. Provided you plant them at the right time of year at more or less the right depth, they will reward you year after year with a rel

If rabbits, deer, squirrels or cats devour or scratch up your plants these wire mesh protectors will give them time to get established. The pyramid-shaped 'Rabbit Proof Cloche' and dome-shaped 'Squirrel Proof Cloche'

One of the great things about gardening is being able to look into the future with enthusiasm, and part of that is planting now for next spring. A gardener knows, when handling papery brown bulbs, that these insignificant little things will produce early